Process of manufacturing unwelded chains.



S. K. v. EGSEGHY.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING UNWELDED CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1913.

1,070,1 21 Patented Aug.'12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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s. K. v. EGSEGHY. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING UNWELDED CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.14, 1913- Pa'tented Aug, 12,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEFAN KISS v. EGSEGHY, 0F VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRMOF HANDELSGESELLSCHAFT KLEINIBERG & 00., OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING UNWELDED CHAINS.

Patented Aug. 12,1913. Serial No. 754,329.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEFAN Kiss VON ECSEGHY, engineer, subject of theKing of Hungary, residing at Vienna, lower Austria, in the Empire ofAustria-Hungary, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inthe Process of Manufacturing Unwelded Chains, of which the following isa specification.

Methods for manufacturing weldless chains consisting of links composedof two eyes or annuli at right angles to each other are already known,in which the rings arev formed on the ends of the blank, after thelatter has been passed through the eye of the preceding link. It hasalso been proposed to reinforce the ends of a blank by upsetting themafter the blank has been passed through the preceding chain link, forthe purpose of obtaining a more favorable distribution of the materialfor the subsequent formation of the annular halfeyes or annuli. Thisupsetting only produces a cylindrical thickening of the ends of theblank, so that although the proper quantity of material is provided forthe formation of the annular half-eyes, the ends of the blank are notthereby given an appropriate form for facilitating the production of theannular half-eyes.

Now according to the present invention the bar-shaped blank, passedthrough a previously formed chain-link, is given at first adjacent tothe two places where the half eyes will be formed subsequently on theends of the blank a bending after the manner of a quarter circle, inwhich operation the ends of the blank may be pressed somewhat flat,whereupon these ends, while still held down, are spread by axiallydirected up setting devices to give them a flat circular shape, afterwhich the stamping of the two half eyes at the ends of the blank, theremoval of the bur and the bending together to form a new chain linktake place. It will of course be understood that the bending andupsetting operations are effected in suitably formed swages, so that,before it is stamped each end of the blank has already been given such aform that the stamping is greatly facilitated.

The bending of the bar connecting the two annular half eyes to form anew annular eye should be efiected in such a manner that the material issubjected to the least possible strain so that the strength of the chainmay not be endangered. In accordance with the present invention thisbending into a circle is effected by simultaneously rotating the twohalf eyes toward each other, and progressively pressing them together,the material of the bar being simultaneously upset during the bending,so that no expansion of the outer layers of the material will arise. Thecombined rotary and progressive movement in the bending operation alsorenders it possible to form narrow circular eyes. Before the rotation ofthe half eyes toward each other the half eyes may be moved laterallytoward each other for curving and upsetting the middle portion of theblank.

Subject matter of the invention are also unwelded chains manufacturedaccording to the process described.

The invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in whichFigures 1 to .21 represent the several phases in the manufacture, andalso show diagrammatically the tools necessary for carrying the methodinto practice.

The method of chain manufacture in accordance with this invention is asfollows:

The bar-shaped blank 1 (Fig. 1) is passed through a previously formedchain link 2 unless it is to form the first element in the chain. Thetwo ends of the blank are then inserted between two pairs of jaws 3 and4 formed in such a manner that when they are pressed together, theyfirst bend the blank 1 at places at some distance from the ends of theblank (Fig. 3) and finally also press the ends flat (Fig. 5). Thequarter circle bends are formed at the places, wherefrom the projectingblank ends being subsequently formed into annular half eyes. In order toprepare the flattened ends of the blank 1 for the subsequent stamping ofthe annular half eyes, in such a manner that the stamping operation isfacilitated, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, an upsetting tool 5 isinserted in the axial direction between the two jaws 3 and 4 while theystill confine the ends of the blank, the front end of this tool beingapproximately semi-circular in shape. As the jaws 3 and 4 also comprisesemi-circular shoulders, as shown in Fig. 9 which together with thesemi-circular front face of the upsetting tool 5, form a circle, whenthe upsetting tool 5 is moved longitudinally each of the two flattenedends of the blank 1 is pressed into a flat circular shape (Fig. 9).Owing to the fact that the blank has already been partly bent and isfirmly held between the bending jaws, the shaping described above can beeffected without the provision of special means for holding the blank inposition. The blank together with the length of chain already formedthen passes to the stamping mechanism, which serves to form from theflattened ends of the blank 1, the annular half eyes which are broughttogether subsequently. This phase of the operation is illustrated inFigs. 11 to 13. The flattened circular ends of the blank pass betweenstamping jaws 6 and 7, which, when pressed together, form the annularhalf eyes 8, and this phase of the operation forms arough edge 9 bothinternally and externally. The stainjiing jaws 7 can be formed in such amanner that upon the flat side of the annular half eyes they produce arecess 10 and a corresponding pro jection 11 which inter-engage when thehalf eyes are pressed together subsequently. The next operation is theremoval of the rough edge 9 from the half eyes. lVith this object theblank is introduced between tools, one of which, as shown in Figs. 1stand15 consists of a central punch 12 and a bur severing ring 13, whilethe other tool consists of a die or anvil 1 1, the front face of whichserves as asu'pportfor and corresponds to the flat side of the annularhalf eyes 8, and which in its center has a cavity corresponding to thepunch 12. A ring 15 surrounds the die externally and is pressedresiliently forward to serve for removing the severed bur. Accordinglywhen the punches 12 and the bur severing rings 13 are forced against thehalf eyes, the flat sides of which bear against the dies 14, these halfeyes are simultaneously perforated, and freed from the bur, the ring 15being pressed back by the severing ring 13 (see the lower part of Fig.14). On the severing ring 13 being then withdrawn, the ring 15 ispressed forward, by its spring or the like, and removes the severed bur.An important feature of this operation is that the perforation and theremoval of the bur take place from the convex side of the annular halfeyes and not from their flat side, and it is only in this manner that aclean out can be obtained.

Figs. 17 to 21 illustrate the bending of the blank to form anew chainlink. As shown in Fig. 17 the blank with its stamped and perforatedannular half eyes 8 is inserted between bending jaws 16, and firmly heldin position by mandrels 17. Now in order to prevent the bar or web ofthe blank 1, located between the two annular half rings, from beingbentonly in the middle when the two bending jaws with the bar betweenthem are turned together, said two bending jaws 16 (Fig. 19) are movedlaterally slightly toward each other whereby the bar is curvedthroughout its entire length. The bending jaws 16 are then rotatedtoward each other, around the center of the annulus to be forn'ied andaround the mandrels 17, and simultaneously a progressive displacement ofthe bending jaws toward each other is effected, in such a manner thatthis progressive approach is slightly in advance of the rotation. Bythis means on the one hand an expansion and consequent weakening of thematerial of the bar is prevented while on the other hand the annular eyethus formed is rendered perfectly circular. Toward the end of thebending movement, that is to say when the two half eyes 8 will be bentwith their fiat faces against each other (Fig. 21) the mandrels 17 areremoved, while the bending jaws 16 are still pressed and then heldtogether under pressure, in order to prevent the two half eyes 8 fromspringing apart. hen the bending jaws 16 are opened out the finishedchain link falls out and the production of a new chain link can heproceeded with.

It should be noted that the stamping of two annular half eyes of a blankcan be effected sii'nu'ltaneously, but with independent tools, wherebyuniformity in the work is insured. The entire process of manufacture canbe carried out in one heating and so speedily that while a link is beingmade the third or even the fifth previously formed chain link is stillred-hot. The greater the thickness of the chain, the longer will theblanks retain the heat and the more readily can the opeations describedabove be distributed among a number of wort places, in the case ofchains of small thickness it is advantageous to effect a number ofoperations at one and the same work place.

It is obvious that unwelded chains may be manufactured in severalmodifications within the principle of the process described.

What I claim is:

1. A process for manufacturing unwelded links consisting in bending ablank bar into quarter circles adjacent the portions from which the eyeswill be subsequently formed, flattening said portions under pressure,and while still under pressure spreading the same by axially directedupsetting pressure to give them a fiat circular shape, stamping the flatcircular portions to form the two eyes, and then bending together toform the chain link, substantially as described.

2. A. process for manufacturing unwelded links and assembling the same,such process consisting in threading through an eye of a completed linka bar-shaped blank, bending this blank into quarter circles adjacent theportions from which the eyes will be subsequently formed, said portionsbeing flattened under pressure and While still under pressure beingspread by axially directed upsetting pressure to give them a flatcircular shape, stamping the fiat circular portions to form the twoeyes, and then bending together to form a new chain link, substantiallyas described.

3. A process for manufacturing unwelded links, such process consistingin stamping the ends of a blank to form eyes therein and bending themiddle portion of the blank into a circle by simultaneously moving thetwo eyes toward each other and progressively pressing them together toform a new chain link, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

STEFAN KISS v. ECSEGHY.

WVitnesses SLEGFRIED NEUTRA, AUGUST Fuccnn.

Copies of this patent ma; be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

